Traditionally with temporary grain or hay storage a barn or shed is provided with a concrete floor upon which the grain or hay is deposited in heaps. The provision of a storage barn or shed is expensive to construct and relocate. Farmers may revert to heaping of the grain or hay on the ground. In this case the heaped grain may be covered with a tarpaulin. However, this manner of temporary storage is inadequate and exposes the grain to moisture and is susceptible to ground-based attacks from rats, mice, mould and contaminants, and other foreign matter.
Alternatively, it is common to store granular products such as grain in silos. Grain silos are generally cylindrical in shape having a conical or frusto-conical base and/or roof. The cylindrical body is fabricated from sheet steel in a series of ring segments secured upon one another via multiple fasteners such as tek screws. The base and roof are also fabricated from sheet steel which is cut and folded then fastened in the required configuration. The silos are typically constructed in a metal fabrication factory and then transported to site e.g. for on-farm grain storage. The cylindrical metal silo is relatively expensive to manufacture, difficult to transport, and expensive to maintain.